All About F-1 Visa.

Link for the Medium article.

Hi, I am Utkarsh Jain, and I am going to the University of California San Diego to pursue a Master’s of Science in Computer Science degree. As a part of going to the USA, I applied for the F-1 visa, and with this blog, I aim to delineate the overall procedure of getting the student visa. So, without further ado, let’s get right into it.

Please remember to go through all the resources I have shared in this blog to get an even better understanding.

1. Request I-20

Once you get into a university, and you decide to attend it, the first step is to request your university an I-20. The form I-20 is a certificate of eligibility for nonimmigrant student status, and it forms the basis on which you apply for your F-1 visa. Without your I-20, you cannot apply for a student visa.

After you put in the request, it will take around 7-15 business days to get your I-20. After receiving it, go to Fmjfee portal and activate your SEVIS ID (mentioned in the I-20) by paying the SEVIS I-901 fee. Make sure you pay the fee before you book your visa slots.

First Checklist:

1. Request I-20 from your university.
2. Pay the SEVIS I-901 fee and get the receipt.

Resources:

1. Overview of F-1 Visa Application Process
2. Paying SEVIS I-901 Fee

2. Fill DS-160

Now that you have received your I-20, and paid the SEVIS I-901 fee, the next step is to complete the DS-160 form. What is DS-160? It is an online nonimmigrant visa application form that is filled out by everyone who is traveling to the USA under a nonimmigrant visa category. The information to put in the form, along with your visa interview, determines your eligibility for the visa you are applying for.

While filling the DS-160, remember to tell the truth. Do not cook information as it will only jeopardize your chances of securing the desired visa.

To successfully submit the DS-160, you will require your SEVIS ID. Hence, you can only complete this step once you get your I-20. Once you submit your DS-160, which is free by the way, you will receive a DS-160 confirmation number. Keep this number safe because you will require it for the next step.

Second Checklist:

1. Complete DS-160 form.
2. Submit it and get your DS-160 confirmation number.

Resources:

1. DS-160: Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application (Official Website)
2. How to Fill DS-160 Step by Step

3. Fill Out Visa Application on CGIFederal

Having finished the previous steps, you can now schedule your visa appointment. For that, head over to CGIFederal, create an account and complete the visa application. You would be asked for some preliminary details (such as your address, nationality, etc), DS-160 confirmation number, and SEVIS ID. After finishing the application, you will be asked to pay the visa application fee of $160.

Once that is over, you can book your biometrics and visa interview slot on the same website itself. Remember, getting slots is a bit difficult because of the sheer number of applicants who are trying for the F-1 visa. The US government usually releases the slots in chunks, once during June and once during August. Regularly follow the Facebook page of the USA embassy to stay abreast with the whole slot situation.

Third Checklist:

1. Create an account on CGIFederal and fill in your details.
2. Pay the visa application fee.
3. Book your slot and get the visa appointment confirmation receipt.

Resources:

1. How to Fill Visa Application
2. How to Book Visa Slots

4. Biometrics/VAC

While booking your visa slots, you actually book two dates: one for the biometrics, and the second for the actual interview.

The biometrics process is really simple. You just visit the Visa Application Centre (VAC), the address of which is mentioned in the visa appointment confirmation receipt, to get your passport verified, photo clicked, and fingerprints taken. That’s it! The process doesn’t take more than 10 minutes.

5. Visa Interview/OFC

Now comes the interview - something visa applicants dread. Unlike other countries’ visas, the USA visa process is interview-based - meaning that an officer will take your interview, ask you a few questions, and then make a decision on whether he finds you a suitable candidate for the visa or not. Technically, this means the officer has the power to reject your visa request just because he deems so. Why the interview though? Well, after 9/11, the USA increased its security and made it tougher to get a visa.

Before you go to your visa interview, there is something called the “Visa Law”, which says:

“Any student who is applying for a student visa – the officer must consider him/her as a potential immigrant – and do not issue a visa – until proven otherwise. Each student must show their intentions of returning to their home country and connect their higher education to their professional goals in India, know about the companies that they wish to come back and work for, their career plan and how will this education help them achieve it.”

Basically, the USA doesn’t want you to become an immigrant, and that is what they try to scrutinize when taking your interview. This, and the possibility that you are a harm to the country. So, you must take the interview a bit seriously. At no point during the interview should you consciously/subconsciously hint that you are going to the USA for reasons other than education and that you plan to settle there in the future. If you do, it will hurt your chances of securing the visa.

What do they ask in the interview?

These are some of the questions I found the officers ask frequently:

1. Which course are you going for? And why?
   Here they want to know about the overall coursework, what you plan to do during your studies, and why you chose to pursue the program. You can also explain how your program fits in your future goals. By asking this question, they are also checking your intent to finish the program.

2. Why this course makes sense for you at this point of time in your life?
   Explain how and when you decided to go for the program, what to plan to do during your studies, and how it fits your future plans.

3. Why did you choose this university?
   Explain the overall benefits of attending your university. Don’t give generic answers like rankings, location, etc. Try to form a more personalised answer. Explain what is special about the coursework as compared to other universities, research of some professor you want to work with, cost of attendance, etc.

4. What are your plans after Master’s?
   Here they are testing your intention to return to your home country. Take name the companies you would like to work in once you come back to your country, the overall salary, opportunities of personal and professional goals, cost of living, parents, family property, etc. Establish strong ties to your home country.

5. How are you planning to fund your education?
   Here they are just checking that you have enough funding to support yourself in the USA.

6. Tell me something about your course.
   Here they are checking for your overall preparedness for your program, and if you have some specific course plan. Explain the field you want to specialize in, the specific courses you are excited for, and professors you want to work with.

7. Which courses are you planning to take during your degree?
   Again, just name some courses you are excited for.

The questions as such are pretty straightforward, but make sure you prepare them beforehand. If they sense that you haven’t looked into the program, are unprepared to handle the program, or are unsure why you are going to the USA, it will definitely hurt you. During my interview, I saw the officers grinding the candidates who weren’t confident and prepared enough. Do ensure that you look into the coursework at your university, the courses you plan to take, the professors you want to work under, etc. The more direct and specific your answers are, the better the chances of getting your visa request approved. And whatever you do, make sure you do not insinuate that you will settle in the USA after you graduate.

General Tips

1. Do not give one word answers. Try to engage in a conversation with the officer.
2. Do not give generic answers which can be found anywhere on the internet. Be specific.
3. Do not fumble. Try to be as smooth as possible. Speak slowly if you want to.
4. Speak confidently. I feel like the whole interview process is just a test of how confident you are with your answers.
5. Dress semi-formally. No need to wear suits, but don’t go in your boxers too. Semi-formal, guys.
6. There is a chance the officer may reject your visa request. Plan accordingly.
7. Do not lie.

6. Documents to Carry

Like I said before, USA visas are interview-based. This means they don’t place much importance on documents, but only on how you perform during the interview. Still, it is advised you carry all these documents in case they do ask you to present them as a proof to back your answers:

Set 1 - Documents for Biometrics and Interview

1. Passport (Both old and new)
2. Visa appointment confirmation receipt
3. DS-160 confirmation receipt
4. I-20
5. SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt

Set 2 - Educational Documents

1. Standardized test scores
2. Previous degree certificate and grade sheets
3. Senior Secondary School certificate and mark sheet
4. High School certificate and mark sheet

Set 3 - Work-Related Documents

1. Joining letter
2. Salary slips
3. Relieving letter (in case you have resigned)
4. Internship certificates

Set 4 - Financial Documents

1. Bank account statements of your sponsor(savings + liquid funds such as Provident Funds, Fixed Deposits, etc)
2. Salary slips of your sponsor
3. Income tax return of your sponsor
4. Property documents
5. Approved educational loan (only if you have taken it)
6. Any other document which you feel strengthens your case for showing financial support

That is all about the F-1 visa. Make sure you start this process as soon as you zero in on the university you want to attend. And, all the best :)